Pontoon unit for floating dry docks



July 10, 1945.

F. R. HARR'ls PONTOON UNIT FOR FLOATING DRY DOCKS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I||||||||||| hllvlllll I l 4 I l l ll llll llllll Filed April 9,- 1943 July 10, 1 45.

F. R. HARRIS PONTOQN UNIT FOR FLOATING DRY bocKs Filed April 9, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIIIIIIIIIII I 4 l INVENTOR FREDL-RIC I?- IIARR/s ATTORNEY I dock unitghaving a I apparatus, so that the unit can travel as Patented July 10, 1945" UNITED STATES PA OFFICE PONTOON UNIT FOR. FLOATING DRY nooiss Q Frederic R. Harris, New York, N. Y. Application April 9, 1943, Serial No. 482,375 (01.114-46) This invention covers a, pontoon unit for a floating dry dock that has a pontoon hull and wing or side walls. The invention relates more especially to means for providing communication for different parts of the unit with other parts, and with the outside air.

The unit comprisesa hull andside wall sections acrossit at bow and stern, movably attached in position; and the dry dock is setup byyfirst rais-] ing the wall sections to, the vertical on the decks of the hulls, placing the hulls side by side, and then securing the hulls and sections together to 1 form inefiect a continuous hull and side walls extending from end to end of the dockf The dock itself and the apparatus for operating and controllingit are fully described in my applica-,

tions, Serial No. 482,376 for patent on a Multiple unit floating drydock, andSerial No. 482,374 for patent on Floating dry dock and pumping apparatus respectively, both? filed of evendate herewith, and defined in the claims appended theretop a One object of theinvention is to provide a dry pontoon hull with a buoyancy chamber therein, power generating apparatus in the buoyancy chamber, and means by which the chamber is ventil'ated and the exhaust of the power apparatus evacuated throughthe wall sec- 11 Claims."

overlapping of the sides of the buoyancy cham her by the upper ends-of the wall sections when the latter are in folded position. Extra communication may thus be provided between the buoyancy chamber and wallysections. This con struction makes it possible to. use portions of the wall sections as cabins when the sections are lowered for sea-going. Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds. 1

A further feature provides alternative passage- Ways and an air supplyior service whetherthe unit has its wall sections down for sea-going or raised for decking; and asystem of conduits which'can easily be converted and maintained in operation when the wallisections are. changed from one of .the above mentionedpositions to tions, so that the power generating apparatus is still in communication with the atmosphere when the. dock is submerged. The invention includes a separate exhaust line for power exhaust'runhing through the'wall sections. These are folded down or lowered to the deck when the unit is to be, transported from one location to another. The pontoonunit preferably has a ship-shape, and propulsion mechanism driven by the power Evenwhen not equipped to generate to be towed at reasonable speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dry dock pontoon unit: with a buoyancy chamber and crews quarters therein; and with access to the crews quarters aiforded through passageways in the wall sections ofthe pontoon unit.

Other features of the invention reside in a stairwell or tower for access to the inside ofthe pontoonunit from a platform or deck at theftop ofleach wallsection; and an exhaust pipe or a hip-- its own power, the fair-form of the hull permits the unit blanked or closed another. a

a In the drawings on which'the same reference characters denote the. sameparts in all the views:

Figure 1 ma side view, partly broken awayto revealthe inside,ishcwing in outline a. pontoon unit for a dry invention.

dock in accordance with this Figure 2 is a top plan View: saidunit, partly broken away, to expose the interior.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view showing the connection between the stairwell or tower in a, wall section and t-he gallery or passageway. in the hull, the

Figure 4 is" a sectional view taken on the line 4--4of FigureB. I s

The unit includes a. pontoon hull ll inwhich arebulkheads, some of buoyancy chamber. The special construction,

a deck l2 and wall sections I31 and l3" that are connectedyto. the deck li elong their lower inside corners by hinges and M". The sections l3, l3 cantherefore be lowered into the broken line positionsishown inFigure. 1'. i a f Thesehi-nges are fully described in my aforesaid application relating to the Multiple unit floating dry dock. When infoldedposition, the inner face of eachsecti'onis substantially parall-el with, the pontoon deck 12. l

A num'ber of similar pontoon hulls. ID are connected together, side by side, with their wall sections l3, l3 upri'ght'and line, as above statedgtfo form a dry dock. In the preferred form of the invention, each of the hulls is shaped somewhat like a ship, that is, the ends areof reducedwid-th, andthe hull of fair form so -that each unit can travel throughthewater as a ship latter leading to the buoyancy chamber, and

which form a central through the top of the passageway 23.

. when moving the dock to the location at which it is to be assembled. In order to increase the stability of the unit and make it more seaworthy, the wings |3, |3 are caused to lie down on the deck when the dock unit is in transit.

There is power generating apparatus comprising units l6 and I6 in the buoyancy'chamber to drive one or more propellers I! through suitable transmitting means not illustrated herein. The power units are. shown diagrammatically in Figures 1 'and 2." These power units or plants also operate the pump system, as set forth in my aforesaid application covering a Floating dry dock and pumping apparatus. Arrangements are made for circulating air through the power plants, chamber and wall sections, and for the exhaust of products of the power plants through each wall section,

one of which is used for eachpower plant. The connections include air passages and, exhaust pipes which lead from the chamber to the upper ends of the wall sections, so that they extend above the waterline of the dry dock, even when the dock is submerged. Each wall section is provided with a platform or deck 2|] inside, near the top. This deck is made airtight and water-tight. Thespaces over the decks 2|] are always above water, for the dock is never submerged entirely.

The air inlet passages include inlet members or funnels 2| extending upward from the top of the wall sections I3 and l3 and stairwells 22, that lead from the decks 20 down to the bottoms of the sections. Each stairwell communicates with gallery 23 in the pontoon hull, attached to the underside of the deck and comprising bulkheads 24, 25 and 26, fixed to internal framing 21. Each gallery or passageway 23 is closed at one end by a partition 38 (see Figures 1 Land 3) that forms the bottom of the stairwell, and the other end of the passageway 23 opens into the buoyancy chamber An exhaust pipe 30 leads from each power plant along the upper portion of the passageway23, and through the adjacent stairwell 22. It is bent up at the bottom of thestairwell and jointed to a vertical portion thereof at the axis of the stairwell. Each exhaust pipe has an outer jacketand heat insulating material between it and the exhaust pipe proper.: There is a spiral staircase 3| in each stairwell, and the steps thereof are connectedat their outer ends'to the wall ofthe stairwell; and at their inner e ds to the jacket of the exhaust pipe 30, down to the deck level, from which a column 30' in line with the vertical part of the pipe supports said inner ends between the deck and the bottom of, the passage. 23.

The upper end of each exhaust pipe 33 passes through the deck 20 and connects with a crosspipe 33 projecting horizontally from the wall section at both sides. At the outer side of the wall section this pipe 33 is connected with an exhaust flue pipe 34 by an elbow 35. On the opposite side of the wall section, the end of the pipe 33 is closed or blanked by a disk 36, bolted or otherwise secured to the flanged end of the cross-pipe 33, when-the wall section is in standing position.

When the wall sections l3 arelowered to broken line positions in Figure 1, the blanking disks 36 are removed and the one end of each conduit or pipe 33 then registers with and is connected to a branch 31 of the exhaust pipe 3|]; which extends The branch 31 is closed at other times. At the outer end of each pipe 33, the elbow 35 is then removed and the flue pipe 34 connected directly to the pipe 33 as shown in broken lines in Figure 1.

, i The disjointed ends of t e-pipes an in the w n 22 are shut by blanks or closures when the wall sections are to be lowered down-on the deck; and the openings through the deck for the stairwell 22 and at the bottom of the wells in each wall section are also blanked or closed when the wall sections are lowered.

Each air funnel 2|, through which air is drawn into a wall section above the decks 20, is moved from the solid line position at the top of the wall section to the broken line position in the outer side or top of the wall section when the latter is lowered; being then joined to a neck 2|; which is closed when the section is standing. The stairwell passageway 23 and hatchway 5|] also form air supply connections through the wall sections to the chamberll from the inlet members 2| when the wall sections are either raised or down, re-

spectively. I c

When the wall sections are in prone or upright position, any suitable means for shutting pipe ends or'other openings not needed may be utilized. Such means may .beplates, disks, or other 010- sures; and maybe bolted or welded in place. To remove or attach such closures, proper tools or a welding torch only are needed. l

Stale air is withdrawn from the buoyancy chamber through conduits 4|] formedby partitions 4| along the upper part'of the passages or gangways 23. Each conduit 40 unites with a' pipe 42 in the wall section, and has an outlet extremity 43 at the top. 'Thelower end of each pipe 42 is connected with a neck 45 on the conduit 40 by an elbow 44 when the wall section is vertical. When the section is lowered, the elbow 44 is removed, and the pipe 42 is connected with the air conduit 40 by a branch 46 of the pipe 42 and a branch 41 leading from the conduit 40. The necessary pipe and branch ends are closed accordingly, as the wall sections are vertical or horizontal, in the manner set forth above.

The power exhaustand air discharge conduits are thus readily convertible to serve with the wall sections, either vertical or horizontal.

The hatchway 50 in the deck 12 op'ensinto crews quarters 5| in the buoyancy chamber above the machinery or power generating space thereof. vThe deck 33a that separates the machinery room from the crews quarters has as many openings 30]) as are needed through which air can circulate, so that the same air supply and air outlet lines serve for both the machinery room and crews quarters. The air is preferably caused to flow through the air inlet and air outlet con- The use of blowers'for ventilation passages is well understood and their illustration, therefore, unnecessary. j

Th wall sections when folded down. on the deck I2 overlap with their tops the buoyancy chamber II; and section l3 has an opening in the side near the top over the hatchway 50; so that persons can pass to and from the crew's quarters. The compartment in the wall section above the deck 20 serves as a cabinwhen the wall sections are down. Hatchways to both sections may of course be used. The openings in the wall sections and for the hatchway in the deck are closed when the wall sections are up. i 1

Both the wall sections have air passages and pipes, so as to have a dual system with effective passageways through either Wing wall when-the other is being folded or raised; an operation that is preferably performed bybuoyancy and' that involves partial submersionof the dry dock unit. For such a purpose the tops; of the wall sections preferably have ducts or flues 51' connecting the space in the wall sections below the decks 20 with the outside atmosphere; then as waterfiows into the section and out no air is trapped above it. Each section also has one or more openings 54 in the bottom to register with openings in the pontoon deck; the function of these openings or ports being described in each of my co-pending applications aforesaid. i Changes and modifications can be made in the illustrated embodiment without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

Having described my invention, What I believe to be new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of th United States is:

1. A dry dock unit comprisin a pontoon hull,

a power plant in the hull, a hollow wall section.

movably mounted on the hull, a conduit extending from said plant through the section in one, position for the discharge of exhaust products from said power plant, and means for reconnecting said conduit when the wall section is in a different position. 2. A pontoon unit comprising a hull divided intocompartments, a hollow wall section movably mounted on said hull to assume raised, or

lowered position, means forming a closed-in pas sageway separate from said compartments be- 7 tween the wall section and the interior of the hull in each position of said section, andmeans forming a passageway between said section and the interior of said hull in another position of i said section. a M

3; A unit for a dry dockcomprising a pontoon hull, a wall section mounted on the pontoon and movable to 'uprightposition or lowered position on the hull deck, and means formin alternative passageways between the wall section and inside of the hull whenthe wing wall are, lowered and. whenthey are in upright position, for use according to the position of the section.

4. A dry dock pontoonunit having a hull, a

means forming a passageway between the chamher and the section, when the section is upright, and a removable hatchwayto connect the chamberto the wall section when the latter is lowered.

6. A dry dock pontoon unit having a hull with a deckand containing a chamber within it, awall section on the hull movable to upright position,

or to prone position in such relation to the chamher that a portion of the section extends over the chamber, and a hatchway between the hull and the chamber whensaid section is in prone position.

duit within th hull, a conduit extending through the wall section, and means for connectin said conduits in diflerent tion.

.8. A dry dock pontoon unit having a hull conpositions of the wall sectaining a chamber, a movable hollow wall seotion on the hull, said section having an air conduit therein, and an air discharge conduit connecting; the chamber to the conduitin the sec tion in one position, said conduits having means for reconnecting the conduits in a difier entposition of the wall section.

9. A dry dock unit including a pontoon hull, a

wall section movable thereon, to assume raised or lowered position, means forming a passage and conduits connecting the inside of the hull to the inside of the section in one position of the latter, means for forming another passageway. and parts for converting said conduits for continued use when the wall section changes position; f

10. Adry dock unit including a pontoon hull, a'hollow wall section movably mounted on the hull to assume upright or lowered position, a

stairwell in the wall section, means forming a passageway in the hull united, when the section is upright, to said stairwell, a conduit in the sec tion and a conduit in thestairwell, a cooperating conduit in the hull for each of said conduits,

means connecting the conduits in the stairwell and section to those in the hull when the section is upright, and means comprising branches and other parts on said conduits for reconnecting the. oonduitsand closingthe lower end of the stairwell and adjacent end of said passageway when the section is lowered.

11. A dry dock unit according to claim 10, having means constituting an alternative passageway to connectthe hull and the wall section when 3 said section is in lowered position.

. ,FREDERIC R. HARRIS.

. '7. A dly dock pontoon unit comprising a hull, a hollow movable wall section on the hull, ajcon- 

